There is a story, don't know if true, that Rabbi Mazeh was the head of the delegation from the Moscow Jewish community to Trotsky. They were asking if the Kiev synagogue which was confiscated by the Bolsheviks could be returned to the Kiev community. When Trotsky refused, Rabbi Mazeh asked him - "Do you consider yourself a Jew or a Russian?". Trotsky replied - "You're mistaken. Neither one. I am a Social-Democrat. That is sufficient." To which R' Mazeh replied - "Revolutions are made by Trotskys, but it's the Bronsteins that wind up paying for them".